


John's

by Layneee



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Bartender Castiel, Denial, F/M, Lots of Women, M/M, Musician Castiel, On Hiatus, Owner Dean, Parent Castiel, Slow Burn-ish, bad childhood, making it up as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 09:04:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1341100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layneee/pseuds/Layneee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean enjoyed being surrounded by beautiful women. After inheriting his father’s bar, he went about making sure he was able to do just that. Until he got a resume for a Castiel Novak. Since when was Castiel a dudes name? </p>
<p>More tags to come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this idea popped into my head and I just had to get the first chapter down. Let me know what you think! Any feedback or suggestions are welcomed. :D Sorry if the title is awful. It might change eventually.

Dean Winchester loved having an office. Which was something the man never thought would be true.

Granted, it wasn’t the normal just-upgraded-from-a-cubical-in-a-shitty-customer-service-job-and-thank-got-for-some-space office. It was relatively small and brick walled to match the brick walls of the buildings exterior. One side of the room was covered in shelves stocked to the brim with an assortment of liquor bottles and personal mementos. The only other piece of furniture was his desk that was set off in the corner below a window that gave him a view into the bar; _his_ bar. 

'John’s' had been his father’s dream, and somehow in the six months since Dean had been put in charge it had become his dream as well. 

Dean had been working as a mechanic when he got the phone call that changed his life’s path. Mary Winchester had called her eldest son because her husband, John, had had a severe heart attack. He had been rushed to the hospital where the doctors were able to stabilize him. It turned out that the stress of the bar and already high blood pressure was too much for the Winchester patriarch. After a weekend of observation he was released to the care of his wife with a recommendation from the doctors to retire. 

John was an abnormally stubborn man and would have written off the doctors’ orders had Mary not intervened. She practically begged Dean to step in and take the business from her husband. Dean didn’t need much convincing. He just wanted both of his parents to be alive and healthy.  

The bar was already fairly popular when Dean took over. They had a steady cliental of local ‘marathon drinkers’ during the week and college students during the weekend, all of whom Dean grew to love. All it took were a few more strategically placed ads and 'John’s' grew to one of the most popular bars in Lawrence. 

It only took Dean a month to realize that there was nothing else he would rather be doing. What could possibly trump spending his waking hours listening to classic rock surrounded by beautiful women?

Dean didn’t mean for it to happen. Not really. Coincidentally, the bar was understaffed when John had the heart attack, and Dean’s first order of business was hiring staff. Was it his fault that the only applicants were women? Of course it wasn’t. He had no choice. 

Sam, Dean’s younger brother, complained constantly that Dean was a sexual lawsuit waiting to happen (and he would know, being a Stanford bred lawyer and all) but Dean always waved his off. He loved his girls, and he treated them right. 

So many women working the bar scene were belittled and harassed, but not when Dean was around. 'John’s' gave them a safe place to work, flirt, and kick ass when they needed to. 

Dean looked up from his work to watch his employees setting up for the night ahead. He watched as Madison Wolfe, the snarky bartender, and Hope Lynn Casey, the clueless yet lovable waitress, laughed over something only they understood. 

The women of 'John’s' had become his family, and he felt complete. 

“Find anyone yet?”

Well, almost complete. While most of Dean’s employees were great, there were the few bad apples. Namely Abby Don. The feisty redhead had been the newest bartender hired, and ended up being crazier than a bag of cats and twice as hard to control. To say firing her made Dean scared for his nuts was a vast understatement. 

Hence why Dean had spend the morning combing through resumes. He looked up and over his shoulder at his brother. Sam had taken to stopping by 'John’s' in the early evening after his day at the office but before opening hours. Dean hadn’t quite decided if it was meant to bother him, or because his gigantic baby brother had a crush on one of the waitresses. 

“Plenty,” Dean grumbled, “But after Abby I’m feeling like I should reevaluate my hiring strategy.”

“You mean you’re going to hire a guy?” Sam asked in mock shock. 

Dean spun in his chair then and smirked. “Obviously not. It’s just hard to tell who’s a ginger from a resume.” 

“I resent that,” Charlie Bradbury shot at him as she passed the door. The waitress took time to toss her cherry red hair over her shoulder as she went. 

The brothers chuckled. Charlie had been Dean’s first hire as the owner and he had never regretted it. Charlie was almost overwhelmingly geeky, but the customers liked her constant stream of pop culture references. 

“Dean, just pick the ones with the most experience and call them. How hard is that?” Without another word Sam left the office. 

Sighing, Dean started doing just that. Only two stood out. A Bela Talbot and Castiel Novak. Their experience was right where Dean liked; more than nothing, but less than everything.

He called Bela first, and the phone was answered by a sexy sounding woman with a crisp accent. Dean liked her immediately and scheduled her interview for the next day. When he called Castiel, and damn if that name wasn’t exotic as fuck, he got an automated voice mail. Dean hated those, because he liked to get a feel for the person before the first meeting, but asked the woman to come in the next morning anyway. 

Feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, be left the office and passed into the bar proper. With a wide smile he whistled and called the womens’ attention to him. 

“Who’s hungry? I’m feelin’ like tacos.”

* * *

 

The tacos were a bad idea. The first bite had tasted funny, but Dean wrote it off as weird seasoning. He figured it was more than that early the next morning as he moaned and groaned and emptied his stomach into the toilet. 

With his face pressed into the porcelain he heard his alarm go off on his cell phone. He chose to ignore it. 

Only nine minutes later it went off again, and Dean cursed. Who invented the snooze function anyway? If he wanted to ignore his duties that’s his own damn choice. Dean wasn’t sure if he could walk, so he made his way to the bedside table in a crawl. He finally shut off the alarm with too much force and a muffled, “son of a bitch,” before promptly crawling back to the bathroom (cellphone in hand, in case any assholes decide they wanted to call him). 

Not ten minutes later and his phone rings. He looked beadily down at the screen to see it’s Jo, one of his bartenders and the manager for all intents and purposes.

“What?” He rasps into the phone. His stomach revolts and he moves the phone away to dry heave into the toilet. 

_“Well, good morning boss. You sound chipper,”_ Jo says too brightly. She always got some sick delight in seeing Dean in pain. 

“What’dya want, Jo?” Dean asked not completely unkindly. 

_“I was in doing ordering for the weekend when some brunette in a skimpy blue dress came in for an interview. I’m guessing you’re not coming down and I’m gonna have to do your damn job. That sound about right?”_ Jo was always the best at sarcasm. 

And, damn the tacos for making Dean miss a skimpy blue dress. 

“If you do I’ll buy you a beer,” Dean finally says. 

_“You’ll buy me a six pack and finally give me that raise you promised me,”_ Jo counter offers. 

“Done,” Dean concedes. He’s about to hang up, but stops at the last moment. “Jo!” 

_“What?”_ She asks. 

“Make sure whoever you hire is hot,” Dean says in what he hopes in his ‘boss’ voice. 

Jo scoffs. _“Well, obviously. Have fun puking!”_

Dean just groans and falls back asleep with his cheek pressed against the tile. 

* * *

Two hours later Dean wakes to a text message from Jo. 

**From: Jo Harvelle**

**Bela was a crazy bitch. Hired Castiel instead. Don’t worry, super hot. Gonna start training tonight. Don’t worry about coming in.**

Dean read it twice, and got the feeling that Jo was hiding something. 

Maybe it was the tacos, or maybe he just trusted Jo too much, but for whatever reason Dean took her at her word and slowly picked himself off the floor. His knees wobbled, but didn’t give out, and Dean was able to make it back into bed. 

Sleep overtook him before he could think about the mysterious Castiel. He wondered if Jo’s idea of hot was the same as his, but he thought so. 

* * *

 

Jo she saw Sam take a seat in front of her out of her peripheral vision and looked up. 

Sam, however wasn’t looking at her and instead was watching the new bartender.

“Dean’s going to kill you. You know that, right?” Sam said as he finally turned to her with a brow already raised. 

Jo half regarded Sam, but half watched as Castiel mixed a sorority sister’s cosmopolitain. The young blonde pressed her breasts against the bar, and Castiel smiled. His dark hair was mused just right, and as he smiled at the twenty-something year old little crows feet appeared in the corners of his blue eyes. Castiel had been flirting and mixing drinks all night, and it was all perfectly done. 

“He technically only asked that _whoever_ I hire is hot, I did that,” Jo commented as the blonde slipped a twenty into the small pocket on the front of Castiel’s T-shirt. 

“Come on, Jo. You _know_ what he meant.” Jo sensed a weird tone in the younger Winchesters voice and turned to see Sam’s raised brow had turned into a smirk. “This is going to be so fun to watch.”

Jo couldn’t help but agree. 

* * *

 

At Jo’s insistence Dean took the next two days off. It wasn’t something the man normally did, but after eating Satan’s tacos he figured he deserved it. Thursday was spent in the fetal position on his bed. He alternated between dry heaving, sleeping and wishing horrible death on whoever didn’t wash their hands between the crapper and the carnitas. 

On Friday Dean made his way from his bed to the couch, where he caught up on the Dr. Sexy he had missed over the last couple of weeks. There was nothing like a medical drama (“It’s a soap opera, Dean!” Sam had told him. Dean ignored that) to sooth an upset stomach. Seeing men with jaundice and puss seepage tended to make food poisoning look not so bad. 

When Saturday dawned, bright and early, Dean felt like a new man. He showered, taking extra Dean-time, dressed and drove the Impala towards 'John’s'. 

It was already shaping up to a beautiful day. The sun was out, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. 

His mood stayed chipper as he parked in front of the bar and unlocked the front door. The normal smells of whiskey and wood flooded him and he took moment to inhale the scents deeply. Dean dropped his keys in the office and checked the time on his watch. Just past noon, which gave Dean plenty of time to get his work done before the evening rush. 

Dean past the time doing the books for the last week, all the while singing along to the Led Zeppelin blasting through the speakers. During a particularly off-key version of Immigrant Song Dean was startled by knocking on his office door.

Standing in the doorway was a man with a strange look on his face; something between amusement and concern. Dean picked up the stereo remote and muted the music with the press of a button. 

“Is there something I can help you with? We don’t open for another couple of hours and I’m pretty sure were not gettin’ any deliveries today,” Dean asked as he took in the sight of the other man. He supposed there was something nice about the dark hair and blue eyes, if you were into that sort of this. Dean cleared his throat and flushed when he realized he had been staring. 

“Oh, no, I’m not a deliver man. I’m Castiel Novak, your new bartender,” the man replied it what had to be the deepest voice Dean had heard outside of Gotham. Then what the guy said processed. 

Castiel Novak the new bartender. The new _male_ bartender. 

He was going to kill Jo.


	2. Chapter 2

Jo couldn’t seem to sit still. She had the night off, and had planned to spend it not obsessing about the drama unfolding at ‘John’s.’ Though as the clock got closer to five o’clock, and Castiel’s starting time, she realized that it was a lost cause. 

Castiel had been the perfect bartender the last two days. He knew when to flirt, when to flatter, when to high-five, and when to cut someone off. That, paired with his uncomfortably perfect smile, had raked in more tips than the bar had seen in months. 

On top of being the perfect male specimen, he had been an absolute joy to work with. Many bartenders got possessive of their space behind the bar, but not him. He seemed to always know where Jo was and just glided around her. 

If Jo wasn’t ninety percent sure he was gay she would totally try to tap that. 

He was also punctual, which was why she felt herself get a little giddy when the clock on the T.V. changed from 4:59pm to 5:00pm. 

Any second he would walk into the bar, introduce himself to Dean, and her boss would lose his shit. In her head, Jo tried to time the interaction. Say Castiel is a minute late, add in a thirty second introduction, fifteen seconds for Dean to stutter out an introduction, another minute for him to shoo the man out of the office, then time for him to reel in his anger and pick up the phone. 

By Jo’s estimations her phone would ring at 5:03pm. Just to see how good she was, Jo watched the only analog clock in her apartment and counted down the seconds. “Five, four, three, two-” The phone rang. “I am damn good,” Jo told the empty room as she flipped open the phone and pressed it to her ear. 

 _“I am going to kill you Joanna Beth Harvelle,”_ Dean hissed before Jo had a chance to even say ‘hi.’ 

“I’d like to see you try, Winchester,” she replied. Jo made sure to drip as much sugary sweetness into her words as she could. It was a trick she picked up from her mom, Ellen, years ago and it was guaranteed to make men quake in their boots. It didn’t work on Dean yet, but eventually it would. “What? You don’t like my hiring strategy?” 

There’s a low growl on the other end of the call. _“You know damn well that I wouldn’t have okay’d it, Jo,”_ Dean growled. 

Jo realized then that Dean was legitimately angry with her and it caused her to bristle. “Oh, I’m sorry I wouldn’t help you be a misogynistic pig, Dean,” Jo snapped back at him like a whip. Deep in her heart, Jo knows that Dean wasn’t that way at all. Her boss just likes women, a lot. Nevertheless, she had grown to like Castiel in their two days together and she didn’t like hearing Dean talk badly about him. 

 _“That- That’s not what this is about. At all. I just- uh-”_ Dean seemed to lose his steam the longer he tried to speak, which made it easy for Jo to butt in. 

“Dean.” Her voice is hard still, but less hostile. “This is a good thing. I know you treat us all well, and the old crows like having us there, but those aren’t our only customers. I mean, Christ! You should have seen with the Gamma’s, Dean. They were eating out of the palm of his hand.”

Jo heard the tell-tale sign of his defeat. _“Fine, I’ll let him stay. For you Jo. If he fucks up, I- I don’t know. I’ll take away you’re key- or something.”_

“You wouldn’t dare,” Jo pointed out, “but I get what you’re saying. And he won’t. Fuck up, I mean. He’s good.”

Dean grumbled something that sounded like “ _he better be,”_ and hung up. 

Jo scoffed. “Well, goodbye to you too, asshole,” she said happily before closing her own phone. Then because she felt like it she opened a new text message. 

**To: Charlie Bradbury, Hope Lynn Casey, Anna Milton, Jessica Moore, Ava Wilson, Madison Wolfe**

**We did it, Ladies! ‘John’s’ is now home to a new and _very_ hot _male_ bartender. If he’s not gay I totally call dibs!**

With a smile Jo hit ‘Send.’ 

In less than a minute her phone was lighting up with messages from her co-workers. All, except Hope and Jessica who had worked with him when she had, were curious about the man. To satisfy their curiosity, Jo sent of a picture she had snapped the night before. In her defense, it would have been a crime not to take the photo. Not with an _ass_ like he had.

* * *

After Dean took a minute to compose himself after his phone call with Jo, he entered the main part of the bar to see Castiel stocking the shelves while talking into his cellphone. Dean didn’t even have to strain his ears to hear the conversation, as Castiel was too preoccupied to notice him. 

“No, I can’t leave. Thank you for your help, Hael.” He paused to hear whoever was on the other side of the phone respond. “Yes, I would appreciate that. I have to get back to work, but make yourself at home.”

“Your girlfriend?” Dean voiced after Castiel mumbled a goodbye and hung up the phone. 

“No, my sit- nevermind. Do we have any more Johnny Walker Blue? It looks like we’re nearly out,” Castiel asked in a blatant change of conversation. Dean inwardly shrugged. If the guy didn’t want to talk, then Dean wouldn’t talk. 

“If Rufus was in last night, than no. If Bobby was with him, then _hell_ no. I’ll put some on order,” Dean explained. Castiel just nodded and went back to stocking.

Secretly, Dean was impressed. The man seemed to instinctually know where everything was. Most of that probably came from his shifts with Jo, but some must just be him. 

He also did the work with a perpetual frown on his face. Whatever his conversation with Hael was about must not have been good. Dean opened his mouth to pry but was cut off by the door opening and a sharp intake of breath. 

Dean checked over his shoulder to see Ava Wilson, another one of his waitresses, staring at him wide eyed. Subconsciously, he lifted a hand to his face. Dean had eaten pizza for lunch and could have missed a glob of sauce on his chin. When Ava didn’t move he furrowed his brow and realized that she must be staring behind him. Dean turned slowly and realized just what had caught the woman’s eye. 

Castiel was standing with their back to them at the top of the small stepladder. Dean didn’t know what was so special about the guy. Sure, Dean could admit that he probably spent some time at the gym, but Dean did too, and his girls never stared at him like _that_. Maybe it was the pants? Dean never wore his that low and lose on his hips. He was more of a medium-rise, slim fit kind of guy. 

One more glance at Ava showed that she was flushing an alarming shade of red and Dean figured it was his job as her boss and friend to intervene before she did something embarrassing like piss herself or pass out. 

“Ava, this is out new bartender, Castiel. Castiel this is Ava, one of our waitresses,” Dean said loud enough to get the man’s attention. Dean wanted to pat himself on the back. He figured he broke the ice enough and Ava would be able to go back to her snarky self. When Castiel jumped from the ladder and approached the pair he heard Ava nearly fucking _moan_ and his brows pulled down deeper. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Ava,” Castiel said politely and held out his hand. 

Ava took it with the quietest, “the pleasure is all mine,” that Dean has ever heard. Which was beyond strange. Ava had proven herself to be loud, and cantankerous. Not breathy and girly. 

Maybe Dean was missing something with this guy. Dean shook his head. It was probably just Ava. Maybe she had watched too much _True Blood_ before work again and was still a little hot under the collar. 

Ava took a deep breath beside him, nodded to herself, and squeezed past the two men; surely to drop her things in the office. Dean watched her go and _swore_ she was swaying her hips more than usual. Dean huffed. 

“She seems very pleasant. You run a very lovely bar,” Castiel said politely. “The last place I worked at was a hovel in comparison.” 

“Uh- thanks, man,” Dean managed to say. The man didn’t take compliments well and Castiel seemed to give them easily. 

“Holy mother of God,” a voice squeaked from the front door and Dean closed his eyes with a groan. 

When he turned, he saw Anna Milton standing slack-jawed with one hand still on the door. Was there something to this guy that Dean just wasn’t privy to? Discreetly, he turned and gave him a better once over. 

On top, he was wearing a thin plaid button up in varying shades of blue, with a black and blue diagonally striped tie tucked into dark jeans. The shirt was rolled up to his forearms and he had what looked like a woven friendship bracelet on his right wrist. Dean would never have put it all together, but he supposed it worked. 

“Cas, this is Anna. Anna, meet Cas. Er- sorry, Castiel,” Dean introduced lamely. 

“Cas is just fine. How do you do, Anna,?” Castiel asked as he extended a hand. 

“I’m good, Castiel,” Anna said as she stumbled forward to shake his head. “I’m just going to go,” she pointed a thumb in the direction of the office. 

Dean nodded, but she was already gone. 

“All right, enough screwing around,” Dean said to the other man. “Let’s see what you got!” 

Castiel smiled and went back to the bar, with Dean on his tail. 

* * *

“Did you see him? I mean, did you _fucking_ see him?” Ava hissed as soon as Anna entered the office and shut the door behind her. 

“Yeah, I fucking saw him. Like, whoa,” Anna agreed. Both women shared a moment of silent conversation before tripping over themselves to get to the window in the office. 

In the other room, Castiel and Dean were standing together behind the bar. They weren’t flush side by side, but close enough to share the same pile of citrus. 

“I don’t think slicing lemons should be this erotic,” Ava groaned. 

“If it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure I saw Dean check him out.” Anna could see Ava’s head snap in her direction out of the corner of her eye. 

“You’re kidding me!” The brunette gasped. 

“Nope, right before he introduced me. It was weird. You don’t think,” Anna paused, “You don’t think Dean could be, you know?” 

Ava shook her head. “Nah ah, no way! I mean, how long have we worked here? He’s never shown any interest before, has he?” 

“Not that I’ve seen,” Anna agreed. “Maybe it’s special circumstances, or something?” 

The women were silent as they watched the men. They didn’t speak, barely looked at each other. They were both ready to admit they were wrong when the men happened to look up at the same second, making eye contact for the first time. 

“Whoa,” they both breathed at the same time.

* * *

Dean was having a hard time coming to terms with the feelings swirling around his head. 

It’s not like he hadn’t seen anybody with blue goddamn-eyes before. Hell, Anna had blue eyes and he saw her nearly every fuckin’ day. 

He was just minding his business, helping Castiel slice lemons (because it was the weekend and they made damn good margarita that needed lots of lemons, obviously), when the other man whammy’d him with his goddamn stare. 

At least Dean could say, with absolute certainty, that he knew what it was like to get weak in the knees. Or sucker punched in the throat. To Dean, he imagined they felt the same. 

“Son of a bitch,” Dean groaned. 

As if his brain wanted to mess with him, Dean found himself standing at the window of the office with no recollection of walking the five paces there. Or of opening the blinds. 

Anna and Ava were laughing and chatting like normal, and Castiel seemed to fit in with them like a puzzle piece. It was nice, seeing them all act like long time friends. Jo was right in hiring him, Dean admitted to himself. 

The other man was smiling shyly and Dean could just imagine his eyes sparkling. His _blue-fucking-wow-nice_ eyes. 

“I need to get laid,” Dean said with a stiff nod. “Yupp, that’s definitely going to happen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I even say how much I LOVE plaid and stripes? Like crazy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I am so sorry this has taken so long. I hope some of you are still with me! Writers block plus finding other stories to read plus starting a new Modern AU gender bender AND email based one shot really make things hard. But here it is! But I think I'm back on track!

It was nearing eight o’clock and Dean was willing to eat every doubt he had about Castiel. Jo had been right, the man was a great bartender. Dean had been ready to jump in if he thought the other man couldn’t handle things, but he hadn’t needed to. For the majority of the night he had been able to just wander his bar; alternating between checking in on the girls and chatting with regulars. 

When Krissy arrived to help bus tables, she had had a similar reaction to the waitresses, before pulling out her phone to text rapidly. It seemed like he had that kind of effect of others. 

At the moment he was leaning against one of the taller tables chatting with a beautiful woman named Cassie, who Dean has seen in ‘John’s’ many times. She has smooth, dark skin and a sly smile. She was the perfect woman for Dean. For a night, at least. In the middle of one of his best lines he spots Castiel, talking on his cellphone behind the bar. 

If there is one thing Dean can’t stand, it’s bartenders ignoring customers for personal reasons. As much as it pains him to do it, Dean excuses himself from Cassie and approaches the bar. 

“Hael, this is not a good time,” Castiel hisses into the phone. His brows are furrowed and he has his lips set into a straight line. It’s the face of a man who has to be firm, but hates it. Then he see’s Dean and adds, “Let me see if I can take a break and call you back.”

“I have one rule, Cas,” Dean says sternly as soon as Castiel hangs up. “No personal phones behind the bar. Someone need’s to talk, they can call the land line, got it?”

“I understand, Dean. I am just dealing with an issue at home.” Castiel sounds sincere, and Dean is having a hard time staying upset. He would never say it out loud, but the other man has puppy-dog eyes to rival Sam’s. Damn blue eyes, again. “If I could just take a quick break, everything can get resolved and I will be able to get back to work without distraction.”

“You have five minutes,” Dean finds himself answering. Castiel smiles gratefully and sidesteps Dean to get out from behind the bar. Dean watches as the man goes, and Castiel is barely into the office before his phone is out again and pressed to his ear. 

He tries to give the bartender privacy, but the other man didn’t close the blinds and that makes it difficult. Dean has always been naturally curious, and Castiel is proving to be quite the puzzle to work out. 

Gone is the scowl that had been on his face earlier. Instead his face melts into a lazy smile. Dean can’t make out what is being said, but from the way Castiel’s mouth is moving, it’s obvious the words are spoken softly. Then, Dean thinks, he starts to sing. 

Dean shakes his head. Why would the guy claim to be having some kind of emergency, only to go smile and sing over the phone? It’s bizarre, and intriguing, and Dean can’t stop himself from waving Ava over to man the bar before walking to the office door and pressing his ear to the wood. 

“If you leap awake in the mirror of a bad dream and for a fraction of a second you can't remember where you are. Just open your window and follow your memory upstream to the meadow in the mountain where we counted every falling star.” His voice is deep and resonating. It does something to Dean, because it’s good. Better than the good. Dean’s no Simon Cowell, but he thinks Cas’s voice is damn perfect. The room goes quiet, then Castiel chuckles, then, “Not enough, huh? Okay.” Then he starts again. Dean can feel recognition prickle at the base of his neck, but for the life of him he can’t name the song.

“I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow. Gonna paint a sign so you'll always know as long as one and one is two-” He breaks off with a fond sigh. “That’s right, baby. Goodnight to you too. I’m sorry it’s been such a hard night, Hael. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll see you when I get home.”

Dean doesn’t have time to look like he was doing anything other than eavesdropping, so he just grins when the door is opened. “Don’t let Madison hear you. She’ll start usin’ ya to angle for karaoke night.”

Castiel’s eyes go comically wide and he glances down at his phone nervously. “You, uh, weren’t supposed to hear that,” Castiel grumbles. 

“It’s my fault, man. I’m sorry for eavesdroppin’,” Dean says, because yeah, he know’s it’s frowned upon to listen to private conversations. Even if those conversions are less talking and more singing. 

Castiel looks like he’s waiting for Dean to say something else, and when he doesn’t Castiel sags in, relief? That’s what comes to Dean’s mind. 

“I’ll get back to work now, Dean. Thank you for letting me call home.” Then Castiel gives his boss a little nod and leaves the office.

Dean’s still curious but drops it in favor of making some more rounds.  He realized that Cassie was talking to another now, a police officer Dean thought was named Victor, and shook his head. 

It appeared getting laid wasn’t in the cards for him. 

* * *

It’s almost two in the morning when Dean finally shoo’s the last drunk out of the bar. Anna and Ava had both kicked off their shoes and were sitting together at the bar; each with a drink in their hands. 

Dean wasn’t sure when it happened, but at some point it became tradition for the employees to stay past closing and have a drink together. The girls loved a chance to tell stories about their night, and gossip about the locals. Castiel was still behind the bar, cleaning and putting away the last of the clean glasses. 

“So, feel free to make yourself a drink, Cas. Everyone gets one free a night,” Dean tells his bartender as he takes a sip of his own beer. Castiel clears his throat awkwardly and Dean can make out the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows thickly. 

“I don’t drink, actually,” Castiel finally says like it’s the worst thing in the world. 

It may not be the worst, but Dean is definitely surprised. “Seriously?”

“Very. It’ll be five years in October.” Castiel takes out a small coin, the size of a quarter, and places it delicately on the bar top. Dean takes it carefully, and sure enough, it’s a four year token from Alcoholics Anonymous. He had never seen one before, and flipped it between his fingers a few times before handing it back to it’s owner.

“How can you work at a bar if you don’t drink?” Ava asks.

“I’ve been making drinks for a very long time, it’s practically second nature. And it’s very important that I stay sober, so I do. It’s simple, really,” Castiel explains in his normal even voice. Though Dean can hear fondness in there somewhere. 

The girls must hear it too. They both smile languidly and lean further towards him. Castiel seems completely unaware. 

“So why’d you move to Lawrence, Castiel?” Anna questions next. 

Castiel takes a deep breathe. Dean is waiting for him to politely refuse to answer. Again, he is surprised. “My life has been very complicated the last couple of years. I was given a lot of help from my sponsor, Gabriel. Though he was more like my best friend. I would have stayed in Chicago, but Gabriel had to move for work and it didn’t take long for me to realize it would be too hard to be in the city without him around.” Castiel gets himself a glass of water from the tap and takes a large drink. “I didn’t have the best influences there. I had heard good things about Lawrence, and when I decided to move it just made sense.”

“Well, I am glad to have you here, man,” Dean told the other man honestly while lifting his glass in a toast. Castiel smiled and lifted his own. 

The four slid into an amicable near-silence. Ava and Anna had their foreheads bowed together and were whispering conspiratorially, while Dean drank his beer and Castiel hummed under his breath. Dean could tell it was the same song from earlier, and he was getting more frustrated with himself for not being able to remember it’s name. 

“What’re you humming?” He found himself asking. 

Castiel’s lips quirked up into a small smile as he replied, “Paul Simon. It’s been a favorite recently.” With a _thunk_ he closed the small dishwasher under the bar and wiped his hands on a nearby towel. “Now I believe it’s time for me to go home. Anna, Ava, Dean, have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Dean waved, while the women said their own goodbyes. Soon after the other’s left as well, leaving ‘John’s’ quiet and dark. That night, instead of dreaming of long, dark legs and glorious curves Dean dreamt of blue eyes and a deep, comforting voice. 

It was one of the best nights Dean had had in a long time. 

Though he still couldn’t remember the name of that damn song. 

* * *

Castiel pulled his Toyota into his apartment building’s parking lot and closed the door as quietly as he could. Immediately he spotted Hael’s Subaru a few spots away and smiled. He thanked whoever was up there that Gabriel’s cousin had the same giving heart as he did. Hael may be young, but she was also one the kindest souls Castiel had ever seen, and did more for Castiel than even she realized. There was no way he would be where he was without her. Castiel made a mental note to pick her up some gift as a thank you the next time he was at the store. 

As quickly as he could, Castiel climbed the concrete staircase to his second floor unit and unlocked the door. 

His apartment wasn’t anything special. Two bedrooms, with a single bathroom, but it was home. He tiptoed into the living room, and approached the lump on the couch. 

Castiel had a hand outstretched to shake Hael awake, but thought better of it. Instead, he pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders and turned off the television that was droning on quietly in the background. Hael snuggled deeper into the couch and let out an undignified snore. Castiel left her to her sleep, on his thankfully comfortable couch, and turned to head back to the bedrooms. 

He bypassed his own, and instead pushed open door to the second. 

The room was dark, with nothing but a glowing ballerina nightlight plugged into the far wall giving off light. The walls were a light lavender, and the ceiling was covered in those stick-on stars, making up imaginary constellations and galaxies. Castiel shuffled along the carpet, only kicking a few toys as he approached the small bed. It was smaller than twin, and closer to the ground, but Castiel still managed to lower himself to sit on the edge. 

Castiel brushed his daughter’s hair behind her ear, noting the braid Hael must have put it in after her bath, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Hey, baby,” he whispered softly, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here tonight. Wanna come sleep with daddy now?” Jane Novak smiled in her sleep and wiggled closer to her father. “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

With care only a parent possessed, Castiel slipped his arms around his daughter and lifted her effortlessly and carried her to his room. Castiel tucked his daughter under one side of the duvet before climbing under the other. Jane closed the space between them and promptly fell back asleep with her head pillowed on her fathers chest. 

It was in quiet moments like these that Castiel found himself thinking that his life must be a dream. He had gone from sixteen year old orphan, to twenty year old vagabond, to twenty-two year old addict only to end up as a twenty-nine year old father to the most beautiful  four year old he had ever seen. She had his blue eyes and pale skin with her mother’s dark wavy hair and small nose. That, with her own stubbornness and childish wit made her nearly unstoppable. 

Jane snuggled closer and blindly reached out to pat him on his stubbled cheek, breaking him out of his inner musings. Castiel turned his head to place one more kiss to the top of her head, before allowing himself to relax singing Paul Simon’s “Father and Daughter” under his breath. 

It was only after he heard his daughter start to snore softly that he trailed off and fell asleep himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmm... DILF!Cas.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I absolutely love the song in the chapter. I don't want anyone to think it has any deeper meaning or emotional reason for being there. I just really really wanted Castiel to sing it. The setting makes sense too.

As the days past, Dean came to realize he would never truly understand Castiel. 

It seemed for every answer he got, two more questions popped up. 

He learned that Castiel was bizarrely punctual. He arrived never a minute late, worked diligently until eight o’clock when he would take his weird singing-break, then work doubly diligently until close. He never stayed later than he needed to, to the disappointment of every one of the waitresses. 

His report with the women of ‘John’s’ was becoming legendary, but he never accepted a date. He would return flirtatious looks and smiles but never more. 

It seemed he had a soft spot for Krissy and Josephine Barnes, the weekend bussers, and it was not uncommon for them to be seen at the bar doing their homework with Castiel’s help. Dean was blown away with how smart he was, even though Castiel admitted to never graduating High School. 

One Friday, just after school was let out, Josephine’s aunt Pamela burst into the bar only to give the bartender a wet kiss right on the mouth. As it turned out, the man had helped Josephine improve grades in three of her most difficult classes. 

The only downside to hiring the dark haired man was that eventually Madison did hear him sing, and got the other waitresses to gang up on Dean and practically _demand_ a karaoke night. 

Which was why, a month into summer, Dean was stringing up a new ‘KARAOKE NIGHT HERE!’ sign above the door. 

“Fuckin’ karaoke,” he grumbled. “Gonna be nothin’ but Miley Cyrus and assholes butchering Queen. Why even fuckin’ sing it if you suck?”

The commentary went on for longer than Dean would admit.

Eventually the sign was level and secured, letting Dean duck back inside where Castiel and Hope were putting a songbook together. Hope was smiling dopily and chattering away about what her first song was going to be. 

“You better sing tonight, Novak!” Dean called as he neared his office. “This is your fault after all.”

Dean didn’t give Castiel a chance to reply before he closed himself in his office to get paperwork done before opening. With the staff he had, it was less likely that he would be needed on the floor and could normally push the work back, but he knew there was no way he would get anything done with twenty-somethings wailing just outside his door. 

With the muffled chatter of the two in the bar as background noise, Dean was able to immures himself in spreadsheets and bank statements. It wasn’t until he heard the door behind him open that he looked at the clock. It was already an hour into open, meaning karaoke was about to start. 

“You ready for tonight?” Sam asked from the doorway. 

Dean spun in the chair to see his brother toss his jacket and beanie into one of the open cubbies. When he had heard about Dean’s new venture, Sam had jumped at the chance to be the KJ. Apparently, he loved damned karaoke. That had been news to Dean but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Dean mumbled. Just as he spoke the speakers whined as they were turned on for the first time. 

Sam just laughed at his brothers wince and pulled him out of the chair. “Come on, man. It’ll be fun.” 

“Yeah, about as fun as a colonoscopy,” Dean told him grimly. 

His brother just laughed harder and dragged him out into the bar. 

The first thing Dean noticed was that ‘John’s’ was _packed_. He had never seen his bar quite this full before. Aside from the normal ornery drunks, there was at least three separate groups of twenty-something women, with a few groups of men as well. To Dean’s surprise he even saw Anna, Charlie, Jo, Ava and Madison sitting at the bar. Castiel was busy mixing and pouring behind the bar and Dean could easily see his overflowing tip jar, even from fifteen feet away. 

When his eyes fell on the stage, which was really just a small raised platform, he saw the microphone stand he’d gotten at goodwill along with an old keyboard and guitar. Dean really hoped that if someone had the nerve to play their own instruments they at least wouldn’t be awful. 

With nothing better to do, Dean crossed through the crowd and stepped behind the bar. It wasn’t that he thought Castiel needed the help, because it was clear he didn’t, but because it was farthest from the stage and the only place that wasn't crammed with bodies. 

“You don’t seem very excited for tonight, Dean,” Castiel said as he reached behind his boss for the bottle of Grey Goose. 

“That’s ‘cause I ain’t, Cas. Karaoke’s for schmucks,” Dean told the other man with a sarcastic smile. 

“I think it’ll be fun,” Hope interjected as she slid up to the bar. She took the cosmopolitain Castiel offered with a bright smile. “I wish Wes could be here.”

Without another word Hope bounced back off into the crowd. 

“Has she even met this ‘Wes’ yet?” Castiel asked as he watched the waitress with a tilted head. 

Dean just shook his own and grabbed himself a bottle of beer from the fridge. “Internet dating, man. I don’t trust it.”

Another whine erupted from the speakers as Sam stepped on stage. The mass of people all turned towards him; some clapped, while others let out little screams of encouragement. Sam flushed and cleared his throat. “Alright! Welcome everyone to ‘John’s’ first karaoke night! Uh, let’s make tonight awesome so my brother doesn’t kill me!”

His employees at the bar laughed and turned to give him a thumbs up. Dean could see that even Castiel was smirking beside him. 

Sam called up the first singer, a regular named Garth, and like that the night began. 

There were some good performers (who knew Garth could do such a good rendition of “Poison”?) as well as a number of _awful_ ones ( _Miley Cyrus_ ).

A couple hours into the night Dean realized he was enjoying himself and had to force himself to scowl. He is still scowling when Castiel taps him on the shoulder. 

“It’s eight, may I take my break now?” Castiel asks, and Dean can’t help but notice the man’s fidgeting. 

“Yeah, man. Knock yourself out,” Dean says flippantly, moving so he’s flush against the back shelves of the bar so Castiel can squeeze past. 

Dean watches as Castiel pulls his cellphone out of his pocket. Though this time as he speaks he walks in the direction of the stage, not the office. 

* * *

Ava is the first one to spot him. 

“Look, look, look!” Ava squeals, forcing Jo and the others to turn towards the stage. 

Jo watches as Castiel hands his cellphone to one of the tables at the front of the room before picking up the guitar. His navy button down is clinging to him in the heat, and he’s undone a few buttons making the tops of his collar bones visible. He looks just the right amount of debauched. 

Sam seems to be giving him a questioning look, but Castiel waves it off. 

“Hello,” he says shyly into the microphone. “I’m new here, and I thought I would sing a song to my co-workers to show how thankful I am to have been accepted into this family.”

Castiel clears his throat and starts to [play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPuYitzNpag&feature=kp). 

_Well, she was standing in a bar_   
_I said, “Hello, how do you do?”_   
_She handed me a beer with a kangaroo_

_She spoke of places I had never been_   
_That she had traveled to_   
_And we slow danced along, faster too_

The whole bar was turning from their conversations to see the man on stage. Castiel seemed completely unaware as he plucked away at the guitar. 

_And I made her laugh, I made a pass,_   
_I showed her my half dollar ring_   
_She said, "That's pretty cool,_   
_But classy girls don't kiss in bars, you fool”_

Ava was raising her glass and wiggling in her seat, while Madison and Anna got up to make their way towards the front of the stage. Jo hung back, but lifted herself to sit on the bar to get a better view. Castiel’s fingers started to strum faster and the beat he was tapping with his feet got louder.

_So later on the crowd calmed down_   
_And I believe it was as if something drew me closer to her lips_   
  
_So picture my surprise when I had tried to lean in for a kiss_   
_And she just smiled and turned her head down_   
  
_I asked her, "Why?" and she replied_   
_It was nothing I was doing wrong, it's just what it is._   
_No, classy girls don't kiss in bars like this_

The whole bar was watching now. Some where filming on their phones, and everyone was clapping with the beat. Jo caught a sound beside her and turned to see Dean looking like he had seen a ghost, while he absentmindedly clapped along. 

_No, classy girls don't kiss in bars_   
_Boys will break their backs and hearts_   
_But it's alright, the hardest part is through._   
  
_Oh through!_   
_Oh through!_   
_Oh through!_   
_The hardest part is through._

The applause Castiel got when he played the last chord was defining, and he blushed crimson as he set down the instrument. On his way back to the bar he picked up his phone from a stunned patron, whispered something into the receiver, and walked behind the bar like he hadn’t just blown the entire crowd away. 

“Was that good?” Castiel asked Jo and Dean as soon as he was in hearing distance. 

Jo couldn’t help the giggle that passed her lips, while Dean clapped him on the shoulder with a “Yeah man, you were good.” 

* * *

Castiel blushes throughout the night every time a customer compliments him, and the sight does weird things to Dean’s stomach. 

He was still behind the bar, helping the dark haired man mix drinks and pour beers, and trying to not think about the first time he ever felt like this. 

Dean remembers when summer he was fifteen, and first met Robin. 

Contrary to what everyone would think, Dean was a late bloomer. Growing up, he would elect to play army men with his baby brother than pull pigtails on the schoolyard. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he still thought girls had cooties, but hadn’t wanted to play doctor either. 

Until he met her. 

Dean used to run a paper route, and his favorite stop was Mr. Sonny’s house. The middle-aged man with the handlebar mustache would be sitting on his porch and always toss Dean a glazed doughnut when he passed. Dean always wondered why the man had so many pastries at five in the morning, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

One morning he reared his arm back to toss the paper, when he saw a girl about his age sitting on the porch with Sonny. She was dressed in her pajamas and didn’t look pleased at being awake. Dean’s brain short circuited and before he could correct his aim he threw the paper right at the girl, hitting her across the forehead. 

“Crap!” Dean had swore as he kept off his bike, leaving it abandoned on the side of the street. “I’m so sorry!” 

“Watch where you’re throwing that stuff, asshole!” She swore right back. She completely ignored Sonny’s quiet reprimand. Instead she picked up the newspaper, threw it back at Dean’s head and stormed back inside the house. 

Dean apologized to Sonny and walked back to his bike, shamefaced. 

Over the next week he continued to see the girl in the morning with Sonny. He made a point of biking past at other times of the day, hoping to see her for some reason he didn’t quite get. 

Eventually it paid off and he passed the house just as she was leaving the house and walking towards her own bike. “Hey!” Dean called after her. The girl looked up and frowned. She didn’t immediately run away or hit him, so Dean took it as a good sign that he could approach her. He threw his leg off his bike and walked up the driveway towards her. “Hey, I’m super sorry about the other day. I’m Dean.” Dean thrust out his hand, just the way John taught him, with a smile. 

Reluctantly the girl took his hand in hers and shook. “I’m Robin. Sonny’s my uncle. I’m staying with him for the summer.”

“Cool. That’s cool,” he replied. “Where you going?” 

“The music store,” Robin replied. She was quiet for a while before adding, “you can come if you want.”

Needless to say, Dean went. 

That was the first time Dean could remember having a crush. Dean and Robin spent every day during that summer. They went to mall, and spent time is Sonny’s game room, but more often than not found themselves in the music store. 

For a fifteen year old Robin had an amazing voice, and was always singing one song or another under her breath. It fascinated Dean. 

She kissed him the night before she left for Hurleyville. 

It was Dean’s first kiss. 

He kept the guitar she left him for years after that. 

It scared Dean how easily he could make the connections between Robin and Castiel now that he had actually seen the other man preform. Castiel took to the stake like a bird to the sky; it was effortless and uplifting and that _terrified_ Dean. 

Never in his life had he felt these kinds of vicious butterflies when he looked at another man. But now, every time Castiel smiled and offered a heartfelt smile Dean felt those little motherfuckers in his gut went crazy.

It was, without a doubt, the most terrifying thing he had ever felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm keeping a list of other songs I want to incorporate into this story, and would love suggestions. So lay them on me!


	5. Chapter 5

After Dean’s weird realization that he had some kind of late-blooming gay crush on one of his employees he did the only thing he could think of. 

Deny deny deny bury bury bury. 

He thought it would be easy enough after that first night, considering it was Castiel’s weekend.. It was strange, actually. When Dean thought about it, he realized that he _never_ saw the other man out in town. He was never at the bar socially, never at the gym or any other single guy hangouts. 

Sometime during the second night (and his third beer) he wondered if that was because he wasn’t a single guy. Dean hadn’t forgotten the mysterious Hael, and the fact that Castiel called her every night. The only thing that stopped his overactive imagination was that Castiel had told Dean himself that Hael wasn’t his girlfriend. 

Dean shook his head, and returned his focus to the road. It was the third day after Karaoke and Dean wasn’t doing as well at forgetting the weird crush as he had hoped he would. Tonight he would be working with the other man, and it was important that he had his shit under control. 

According to his watch he had more time than he thought to get to the bar, and decided that taking the scenic route would do him some good. It circled around Lawrence, taking him past the nicer parks in town. The windows were rolled down and the wind was doing a good job in clearing his head. That is until he turned the corner and drove past one of the nicer apartment complexes in the city. 

It was incredible that Dean saw him. Maybe he had been thinking about the man too much in the last couple of days. Maybe Castiel just stood out. For whatever reason, Dean spotted him right away. 

Castiel was standing next to a little forest green Subaru. He was dressed in loose fitting lounge pants and a white T-shirt that was covered in old paint of every color. His hair was an absolute mess, like he had just rolled out of bed. Next to him stood a young brunette. 

By the time Dean noticed the woman he had slowed to a crawl, and was trying to place where he had seen her and that Subaru before. As he watched, the woman who he assumed was Hael was pulled into a hug by Castiel. Her arms immediately went around his waist in familiarity, and it made a bad taste appear in his mouth that he ignored. 

When Castiel pulled away he dropped a kiss onto the woman's forehead before opening the car door and allowing her to climb into her car. Castiel watched as the Subaru drove off before climbing the concrete steps to his apartment. 

Dean didn’t want to admit that he was jealous. But it was the closest he came to describing the feeling in his chest. He shook his head. 

Deny deny deny bury bury bury. 

Without allowing himself a backwards glance he sped off towards ‘John’s.’ 

* * *

Castiel was awoken from sleep to the sound of pounding at his door. 

The little body next to him whined, and snuggled further under the covers. “Make the noise stop, Daddy. I wanna talk to the unicorns some more.”

“Okay, baby, for the unicorns,” Castiel replied sleepily as he untangled himself from his daughters octopus-like grip. She had been clingier than normal lately, and had been refusing to stay in her own room. Even if Castiel put her to bed in the evening, he would wake up in the morning with the four-year old next to him. She was lucky her old-man was such a softie. 

Once he was safely extracted from the covers he crossed his bedroom and hurried his steps until he was at the front door where someone was still knocking like there were demons on their heels. He didn’t have to force a murderous look on his face, as it came to him naturally, as he pulled open the door. 

Of the few people he was expecting to be on his doorstep, the man in front of him wasn’t one of them. His golden eyes were sparkling in the early morning light, and behind him Hael was smiling. “Gabriel?”

“The one and only, buckaroo!” Gabriel replied cheerfully. Without an invitation he pushed past Castiel and bee-lined for his bedroom. The sound of a grown five-foot-five man jumping on the the bed followed. He would chastise the man if he didn’t hear the excited squeals of his daughter seconds later. 

“Sorry, Castiel,” Hael said quietly after Castiel closed the door behind him. “We’ve been planning this trip for a while, but he got in earlier than I thought he would. I tried to slow him down, but you know how hard that is.”

“It’s okay,” Castiel replied around a yawn. “Would you like some coffee?”

Her answer was drowned out by his daughter’s laughter, but he assumed it was a ‘yes.’ 

In the kitchen, Castiel turned on the coffee maker and pulled out the ingredients he would need for Gabriel’s favorite pancakes. The others weren’t far behind him and he watched, bemused, as Gabriel passed Jane to Hael before pulling Castiel into a hug. 

“I’ve missed you both, kid,” he spoke into Castiel’s chest. “I’ve been wanting to visit ever since you moved. How you doin’? You good here?”

He was using his serious-sponsor voice. Like Castiel’s reason for complete sobriety wasn’t two feet away. That didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate it, though. He would never forget how many rocky moments Gabriel was able to get him through. 

“Yeah, Gabriel. I’m doing well here,” Castiel told the other man. 

The two men and little girl then fell into the morning routine that had come from years of co-habitation. Hael watched from the sidelines with a content look on her face. 

Gabriel told Castiel about his new job and how much he missed Chicago. Gabriel had worked as a customer service representative for Casa Erotica as long as Castiel had known him. He had always been happy where he was, but when the higher ups offered him a raise and promotion it had been hard to say no. The job had required him to pack up and move to Los Angeles, and as much as he complained, Castiel knows that the man had been excited. 

He was in the middle of a story that somehow included an infinity pool, a pineapple and a large doberman when Hael cleared her throat. Her cheeks were flushed. It was easy, then, to remember that she was Gabriel’s innocent eighteen year old cousin. 

“I’m going to go. You guy’s catch up,” she said quietly as she backed out of the room. 

“I’ll walk you down,” Castiel insisted. “Can I trust you not to burn down my apartment?” Castiel asked his friend at the last minute. 

The other man gave Castiel a solute, which Jane copied. Castiel returned it and walked out of the apartment beside Hael. 

“Thank you, for bringing him here,” Castiel said once they made it down to Hael’s Subaru. “He was Jane’s best friend for so long. It’s nice to see them together again.”

“It was the least I could do,” Hael told him. “You’re like a brother to me, Castiel. Besides it was all Gabe. I just showed him where you lived.”

Castiel smiled at the girl who had become his sister and pulled her into a tight hug. “Be that as it may, thank you.” He placed a kiss to the girls’s forehead, before opening the car door for her. 

Back upstairs his normally clean kitchen had turned into a war-zone. There was pancake batter on the walls, the cabinets, and all over Jane face and Mulan nightgown. Gabriel didn’t look to have faired much better. As Castiel leans against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, the two look at him with equally wide faced looks. Jane’s the first to give her father her best bashful look and say, “oops,” in the sweetest voice possible. 

Castiel tries to frown, but fails. Here, in this small kitchen in Lawrence, his family is whole again. 

Quick as a flash he scoops his daughter in his arms and kisses a glob of batter off her cheek. “What’d you say I run you a bath and we leave Uncle Gabe to make pancakes?”

Jane purses her lips and ask, “Can I have bubbles?”

“Obviously,” Castiel answers with a fond smile. “Thanks Gabriel,” he shoots over his shoulder as he bounces out of the kitchen and down to the bathroom. 

One bubble bath and a kitchen cleanup later, the three are seated at Castiel’s small kitchen table chowing down on chocolate chip pancakes. Jane isn’t listening to the adults, but flipping through one of her touch and feel books. 

“So how are you? When was your last blow job? How’s work?” Gabriel asks casually through a mouthful of food. 

Castiel’s face wrinkles in disgust, at both the question and the visible food. “You know my daughter is right there, right?”

“Eh, she’s not paying attention,” Gabriel laughs. “But come on! I need to know how you’re doing.” 

“Honestly, Gabriel, I’m doing well here,” Castiel answers. “My job is wonderful, all my coworkers are great. I’m glad I moved here.”

“I’m proud of you, bro,” Gabriel tells him with a quiet fondness. Gabriel could be brash and sarcastic, but he truly cares about Castiel and his daughter. 

“Thank you,” he replies with a blush. “How long are you in town?”

“Couple days. I figured I’d spend a night with this little munchkin,” he squeezes Jane’s knee for emphasis, “then maybe see where you’re kickin’ in for a night.” 

“I’d like that,” Castiel says honestly. 

“Daddy, I’m bored!” Jane confesses. Immediately she is pulling her father and uncle out of their chairs. “Come on! Let’s play.”

Neither man can say no. 

* * *

Dean’s taking stock behind the bar when Castiel gets to work. 

“Afternoon, Dean,” he says happily. 

Right away, Dean can tell there is something different about his bartender. He doesn’t think he has ever seen the other man smile wider. In that moment he feels every ounce of progress slip through his fingers and the feelings hit him full force. 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean croaks. “Have a good weekend?”

Castiel nods. “One of the best.” 

“Cool, man. Hey, I’ve got an errand, think you can handle things here on your own?” Dean questions as he takes the long was from behind the bar to avoid getting to close. 

“Of course, take your time.” Castiel gives his boss a wave and walks behind the bar to take over the organizing and stocking. 

Dean doesn’t watch him as he quickly flees ‘John’s.’ He jumps into the impala without a destination in mind, only knowing that he need to get far away from the weird _thump thump thump_ ing of his heart. 

He drives around Lawrence, before ending up at his brother’s law firm. If anyone would be willing to listen to him have a gay-crisis, it would be Sam. 

Lisa, Sam’s secretary, greets him as he passes her desk and he doesn’t even try to flirt with her. 

The office Sam calls his own is nicely decorated with dark wood and stained glass fixtures. Sam himself, is dressed in a brown suit, and giving Dean a concerned look over his laptop. “Dean? What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you, Sammy, and you gotta promise me that you won’t interrupt me. Or laugh. Please don’t laugh,” Dean begs. 

“Of course,” his brother says soothingly as he closes the laptop and gives Dean his full attention. “What’s going on?”

Dean takes a deep breath and practically falls into the seat opposite Sam. He opens his mouth, can’t form the words, and closes it again. “Fuck,” he swears, “I don’t know how the hell to say this, dude.”

“Just start from the beginning,” Sam suggests. 

“Okay, uh, I kinda realized something on karaoke night,” At Sam’s confused look, Dean just continues, “It was after Cas did his thing. He was just so good up there, and he reminded me of Robin, and he’s a cool nerdy guy and I want to figure him out, and I really want to know why he sings so much, and his eyes are like _really_ blue.”

Sam opens and closes his mouth like a fish, and Dean would laugh if he wasn’t feeling like he was having a panic attack. “I don’t know what to do, Sammy. ‘Cause I’m his boss, and he’s a dude, and this has never happened to me before.”

“Dean,” Sam says quietly, like Dean is some spooked woodland creature. “Are you telling me you _like_ Castiel?”

Dean stands from his chair so fast it nearly topples. “I don’t know! I just want to be with him. All the time. I want to hear about his day and tell him about mine. I want to hold his hand and smell his hair.”

“I- I didn’t think you, uh, you know,” Sam trailed off, “liked men.”

“I don’t!” Dean yelled. “I can honestly say I’ve never felt this way about another guy before.”

“You should tell him how you feel,” Sam replied in a calming voice. 

“Yeah, alright, Dr. Phil.”

“I’m serious, Dean. Everything you just said, that’s called a relationship. What’s the worst that could happen?” Dean wanted to smack the understanding look from his brother’s face. 

“A lot could fucking happen! I just need to forget about it,” Dean concludes. “Good talk, Sam.”

Then Dean leaves. He definitely can’t go back to the bar yet, so he continues to circle Lawrence until nearly seven. When he finally returns to ‘John’s’ the night is in full swing and he is able to put his weird feelings behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

Gabriel can remember the first time he ever spoke to Castiel.

He had stopped at a Pete’s Coffee for a caramel freddo for himself and a black coffee for his girlfriend Kali when he saw the dark haired man slumped against the bricks outside. He was paler than usual and had an empty coffee cup in front of him instead of his guitar. His girlfriend was leaning against his shoulder, looking possibly worst than her partner. 

Normally Castiel could be seen in the local park strumming away, while his beautiful girlfriend danced to the music. Gabriel himself had stopped countless times to watch and drop a few bills in the guitar case. The pair had been magnetic. 

They were practically unrecognizable now. 

A couple in business attire past in front of them and scoffed. “Fuckin’ bums,” the man swore before shoving Gabriel aside. They disappeared inside the coffee shop and Gabriel watched as Castiel’s eyes lifted to glare at the man. 

“I’m sorry about them,” Gabriel found himself saying. 

“I don’t want your pity,” Castiel had snapped. Beside him his girlfriend moaned and tucked herself tighter against his side. 

Gabriel didn’t walk away, even though it was obvious the other man wanted him to. Instead Gabriel handed over the cup of black coffee. Castiel eyed the cup suspiciously but reached for it in the end. His hand shook so bad half the black liquid splashed over the edge. 

“I don’t mean to pry, but it’s the DT’s, right?” Gabriel asked as he crouched in front of the pair. His answer was a clipped nod. “I’ve been there. How long has it been?”

“Three days,” Castiel had answered. His eyes flitted down to the woman at his side. “She’s pregnant.” His gaze lifted to meet Gabriel’s. “I don’t have anyone else to tell.”

Gabriel had tried to hid his concern, but if was nearly impossible. He own time of detox was still clear in his mind, even five years after the fact. Though when he did it, he had a family and a program to help him. “Where are you staying?” He asked the man in front of him. 

“We have a room in a house not far from here,” Castiel had answered. “It’s fine.”

Gabriel had doubted it, but didn’t want to call the other man out. “How about dinner then? My treat.”

Castiel had taken a full minute to think it over before he nodded. “That would be nice,” had been his answer. 

Gabriel started looking our for the pair after that. It took Castiel nearly two weeks before he confessed to lying about where he and his girlfriend, Meg, were living. It wasn’t a nice room rented in a home. They had found a squatters den in an abandoned house. It was cold, and dirty, and completely unfit for a pregnant woman. Gabriel had moved the two into his spare bedroom after that. A month later the pair disappeared, only to show up two days later with liquor on their breath and bruises in the crook of their arms. “I fucked up,” Castiel had sobbed. 

Gabriel understood. He had been there. 

He helped Castiel and Meg get clean. He made sure Meg was eating enough, and took her to the doctors. 

He loved them. 

After what happened, Gabriel was as broken up as Castiel was. They mourned together, while trying to raise a happy baby girl. Jane herself had problems, being both premature and born to a drug addicted mother. She was a lucky girl, though, and recovered faster than the doctors thought she ever would. 

Watching the little girl now, playing with her toy ballerinas, was astounding. She had grown up so much, even in the few months that Gabriel had been away. 

“Watcha thinkin’ ‘bout, Uncle Gabby?” Jane questioned. She had one of her braids in her mouth and was gnawing relentlessly. Gabriel sighed. It seemed that would never change. The sigh did chase away his bad thoughts, however, and he smiled easily. 

“I’m just trying to decide if we should have ice cream with sprinkles or chocolate dipped potato chips for dinner,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “What do you think, Jane bug?” 

“Those’re to sweet for dinner, Uncle Gabby. I want pizza!” Braid forgotten, Jane jumped up from her chair and clapped. “Yay pizza!”

“All right, all right!” Gabriel laughed. “Pizza it is. Can I get mine with extra marshmallows?”

“Eww! You’re gross!” Jane giggled. 

“You’ll see. You’re gonna be so jealous of my marshmallow pizza. You’ll see.” Gabriel winked at his goddaughter and scooped her into his arms. “Let’s order pizza!”

* * *

When Castiel finally dragged himself home, it was to a mess of an apartment and a daughter and best friend passed out on the couch. Gabriel was lying on his back with a crown of marshmallows around his head, while Jane was sucking on a thumb that was attached to a hand covered in chocolate. 

“What the hell?” He asked the room before bending down to flick his friend on the forehead. Gabriel woke with a start, but did so without jostling the girl on his chest. Castiel was secretly impressed. “What the hell?” Castiel asked again, only this time to a listening audience. 

Gabriel shrugged. “Four year olds know how to party, man.”

Castiel fought a smile, but lost. “You’re a child,” he said between chuckles. 

“It’s why you love me. Now go to bed, I need my beauty rest.” With a final wave, Gabriel flopped back down and was asleep before his head hit the pillow. 

With a shake of his head, Castiel retreaded to the bathroom and wet a washcloth under the faucet. Back in the living room he gently wiped the chocolate from his daughters face and hands, before lifting her in his arms and carrying her to her bedroom. Once he was sure she was tucked comfortably under the covers he kissed her soft forehead, mumbling, “love you, baby girl,” under his breath. 

Castiel crawled under his own sheets and fell fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning was hectic, but the kind of hectic that Castiel had missed since leaving Chicago. He woke up to not only a little girl in his bed, but a full grown man in a marshmallow crown as well. He would be lying if he said it was the first time. 

After he and Jane ganged up on Gabriel and pushed him out of bed, literally, they laid back down for another hour of sleep. Gabriel grumbled from the floor, but fell back asleep as well. 

When they were all finally awake, Castiel dressed his little girl in a green dinosaur dress, and walked her to the park behind his apartment complex. Gabriel chose to stay behind and shower, no doubt having to wash chocolate and sweet from obscene places. 

Jane ran from swings to slide to seesaw, making Castiel laugh behind her. 

They sat together on the small, metal merry-go-round and drank apple juice from boxed and shared a ziplock bag of green grapes. 

“Do you like having Uncle Gabriel here? Was it a nice surprise?” Castiel asked. Jane nodded and held out a wrinkly grape for her dad. 

“The best! I miss’ded him lots,” Jane told him as she used both hands to toss a grape into her mouth. She missed, and frowned, looking every bit her fathers daughter. 

“I’m glad baby. Are you gonna be okay when he goes and it’s just me around?” Castiel asked as he pulled another bag, this one full of little cubes of cheese, out of his pocket. 

“Duh,” Jane said with a little four year old scoff. 

Castiel chuckled. It sometimes took him by surprise how grown up and sassy his little girl could be. “Okay then. Do you want to ride on daddy’s shoulders now?”

Jane clapped and squealed. Castiel took that as a yes, and hoisted her above his head and onto his shoulders. The walked back tot he apartment was short, and the summer sun was already starting to beat down on them.

Back in the apartment Gabriel and Castiel watched a princess movie, and shot each other ‘we can’t believe we’re doing this’ looks over Jane’s head. 

Reluctantly, Castiel left the comfortable couch when it was time to get himself ready for work. He dressed in a plain blue t-shirt because it was easiest and went to say a quick goodbye to his friends. That’s when he spotted Hael in the living room. 

“Hael? When did you get here?” He asked the young woman. He swore he gave her tonight off as well. 

“I called her. You didn’t think I was going to leave before seeing you in action, did you?” Gabriel asked cheerfully as he jumped from the couch. He was wearing a bright pink Casa Erotica t-shirt and his marshmallow crown from the night before. 

“I was hoping so, yes,” Castiel replied dryly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Gabriel to see his work, it was more that he didn’t want his work to have to see Gabriel. The man was short, but he was powerful. Castiel had seen him close down bars stone cold sober, and didn’t want to force that on Dean. 

“Well too bad, buck-o,” Gabriel laughed. “Now let’s blow this popsicle stand and get this night rolling!” 

Castiel groaned. It was only five o’clock. It was going to be a long night. 

* * *

Gabriel might have had ulterior motives for following Castiel to work. 

During one of his catch up phone calls with Hael nearly a week ago, she happened to make a strange observation. According to her friend Josephine, Castiel had caught the eye of his boss, a very handsome and very straight man named Dean Winchester. 

It wouldn’t be the first time Castiel had caught the eye of a _supposedly_ straight man, and it generally ended in heartbreak for Castiel. 

Last time, it had been a man named Balthazar. Castiel had met him at work. He had worked his way from busboy to server in a fairly classy french restaurant. Balthazar worked in the kitchen and seemed to enjoy flirting with the wait staff. Castiel was not excluded from that group, despite the fact that Balthazar was as straight as they come. 

One night, Castiel had stayed late to help Balthazar close down the restaurant and the other man had kissed him. Castiel had reciprocated, only to get pushed away and yelled at. 

Gabriel had been ready to bash the pompous dicks teeth in when Castiel had told him, but refrained. Castiel had brushed it off, but it had obviously hurt him. 

Sometimes Castiel cared too much for the wrong people. 

So Gabriel, as Castiel’s best friend, considered it his duty to see the two men together for himself. That way he could either warn Castiel away, or push him forward. Hopefully this one ended okay. His friend really deserved a break. 

Castiel grumbled the whole car ride to the bar, only getting one sentence out completely. “I haven’t told them about Jane yet,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for a good time, so please don’t say anything.”

Gabriel, in a moment of seriousness, nodded. Because he understood Castiel’s hesitation. He loved his daughter with his whole heart, but he had her in a horrible time in his life, and he hated when people knew that about him. 

“Don’t worry, bro! Tonights about the boys anyways,” Gabriel said with a wink. Castiel eyes him suspiciously, but didn’t have a chance to response. At that moment Castiel pulled into the parking lot and Gabriel jumped from the car like a shot and ran for the bar. 

“Damn it Gabriel!” Castiel called after him. Gabriel didn’t listen and threw open the doors. 

“Well, would you look at this. Quite a classy joint you’ve found here, Castiel,” Gabriel called over his shoulder. 

His voice must have carried, before not a second later another man appeared from inside the bar. He was taller than Castiel, probably, with dark blonde hair and a nice face. Even Gabriel could see that. He was too far away to make any subtle observations, but conceded that the guy was good looking. 

With a huff Castiel appeared beside him. “Jesus, Gabriel. I swear you’re a ten year old in a thirty two year old body.”

“You know this guy, Cas?” The man asked, and Gabriel rolled his eyes because Castiel obviously knew him. 

“Yes, Dean this is Gabriel. Gabe, meet Dean, my boss,” Castiel introduced. Gabriel watched him closely, not missing the way his eyes wandered over his boss’s form. And Gabriel could see, even from a distance, the way the other man flushed and fidgeted in his place. 

Gabriel fought to contain his smirk. Tonight was going to be fun.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean _hated_ Gabriel. He was short, and loud. And somehow in the few hours since they’d opened he filled his short, loud body with more Shirley Temple’s than Dean could count. He was nearly positive that the man had sugar water running through his veins instead of blood.

Dean didn’t hate, however, how the other man seemed to bring Castiel alive. His bartender was laughing with his friend, and flirting just right with the girls Gabriel brought to the bar. It seemed like the two were really great for business.

‘John’s’ was hopping, and Dean couldn’t stand idly by and watch his bartender any longer. Josephine seemed flustered, hopping from table to table collecting buckets of dirty glasses and plates. Both Hope and Jessica were busy tending to their own tables, and couldn’t offer the young girl any help. Dean moved to her side, eager to help her collect any she couldn’t grab.

“Thanks, Dean,” she said with a happy smile.

“No problem, kid. You seemed more stressed than normal. Everything okay?” He asked as he started loading glasses into the dishwasher behind the bar.

“I’m fine. I’m just worried about college. I haven’t gotten any letters back yet. Hael’s already got a couple, and it makes me nervous.” Josephine gave her boss a smile, shrugged, and grabbed a bleach rag to wipe down some of the tables.

Dean wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay, that he was sure she’d get into loads of colleges, but the name Hael wouldn’t stop bouncing around his head like a damn tennis ball. Everything was coming back to him. The brunette, the green Subaru. Dean knew the name sounded familiar. She was Josephine’s best friend, and would sometimes drop her off for her shifts. Castiel wasn't actually dating her, was he? Somehow the idea of Castiel dating an eighteen year old didn’t seem right.

“Who put a bee in your bonnet?” A voice piped in from across the bar. Dean’s head shot up to see Charlie smiling at him.

“Nothing. And since when are you eighty years old? Nobody says that anymore,” Dean grumbled. “What are you doing here anyway? It’s your day off.”

Charlie plopped herself on a stool, propped an elbow on the bar and rested her chin in her palm. “I just thought I’d come in, say hi. Plus I promised I’d help you plan the retreat, remember?”

Shit.

Dean hadn’t remembered.

Every year, around this time, he closes the bar for a long weekend and takes his girls up to his parents old lake house. It was one of his favorite traditions, and probably one of the reasons he had such a great staff. It gave everyone a chance to bond and decompress from what was always a crazy summer rush. Not to mention the lake house was beautiful and the water was always warm in the summer.

“You forgot, didn’t you?” Charlie teased knowingly.

“I didn’t _forget_ ,” Dean groaned. “It just snuck up on me.”

“Sneaked,” a new, deeper voice added. Dean and Charlie turned towards Castiel with raised brows. He just shrugged without pausing in his glass polishing. “Snuck isn’t a word. The proper way to say it is sneaked. What sneaked up on you, anyways?”

He placed the sparkling tumbler on the bar and filled it with two fingers of Jack Daniels. He slid the glass to Charlie and she grinned. “Dean takes us all away for a trip every summer. I guess he hasn’t started planning for it yet.”

Castiel ‘ah’d with a contemplative look on his face. “Are we allowed to bring guests?”

It felt like Dean’s stomach acid got replaced by lead. Of course Castiel would want to bring his girlfriend. “Uh,” Dean stuttered. He’s never outright said no, but generally the girls don’t ask him. It was always just a coworker thing. “I mean we’ve never had guests come before.”

“I see,” Castiel said quietly. “Well, I…” His sentence was interrupted by the door slamming open and what sounded like the wails of a small child. Dean spun towards the door, catching sight of a teenage girl standing in the opening. She looked frazzled, and familiar.

“Hael? What are you doing here?” Josephine asked from one of the high bar tables she was clearing.

Before Hael could respond the little girl squirmed in her arms and wailed, “Daddy!” The young brunette tried to keep hold of her, but couldn’t. The toddler practically shimmied down her body and ran towards the bar.

Dean felt a body squeeze behind him and then Castiel was dropping to the floor to pluck up the small girl. “Baby girl, what happened?” Castiel coo’d, and Dean felt his jaw drop.

“I had a bad dream. I woked up and couldn’t find you,” the little girl said between her sniffles.

Hael approached the bar tentatively. “I’m sorry, Castiel, I didn’t know what else to do. She wouldn’t stop crying.”

Castiel didn’t stop rocking the little girl, but gave Hael a small smile. “It’s okay, Hael. Why don’t you head home? I’ll have Gabriel take Jane back once I’ve settled her down.”

The teenager nodded and, with a shy wave to Josephine, left the bar.

Dean was still stunned in place, and it looked like Charlie was in much the same state. Castiel finally turned towards the pair. “I’m going to take a break,” he said with finality, before wading through the people towards the office.

“Did you know about _that_?” Dean asked his employee once the other man was behind the door of the office.

“Nope, but damn does it make sense,” Charlie responded airily. Dean realized with a start that his lesbian best friend was practically swooning. “You know he was asking about bringing her to the retreat, right?”

“Well, now I do,” Dean told her. “I’m going to make sure he’s okay. I know you’re not on the clock but could you watch things for a minute?”

Charlie saluted him and slid behind the bar effortlessly.

As Dean got closer to the office he could hear the low, dulcet tones of Castiel’s voice, and the light sniffles of his daughter. Dean knocked politely, and didn’t even touch the handle until he head a quiet, “come in,” in response.

Castiel was seated at the little couch, with his daughter curled up in his lap. “I’m sorry, Dean, I know I should be working.”

Dean shook his head and pulled a chair up to the couch. “Don’t worry about it, man.” The little girl in Castiel’s arms was watching him with big, blue eyes. They were identical to Castiel’s. “What’s your name?” He asked the girl.

She didn’t answer right away, choosing instead to burrow closer to her father. “It’s okay, baby girl. This is Dean. He’s who I spend time with when I’m not with you,” Castiel explained in a low, comforting voice.

“‘m Jane,” the little girl answered shyly. “You’s got pretty eyes.”

Dean chuckled. The little flirt knew how to charm. “Thank you, you do too.”

Jane giggled and sat up a little straighter in Castiel’s lap. “Why’re there dots on your face?” Above her, Castiel chuckled, and damned if the whole thing didn’t make Dean’s heart flutter.

“They're freckles. My mom used to say that every one was a kiss from an angel,” Dean told her and he swore Castiel flushed.

Jane smiled through still glassy eyes and slumped back against Castiel’s chest. It seemed like the whole ordeal had worn her out. “I need to find Gabriel. He’s probably having a smoke out back.”

Dean cut the bartender off with a wave of his hand. “Why don’t you just take her home? I can handle the bar for tonight.”

“Really?” Castiel asked hopefully. Below him Jane had completely conked out and had his T-shirt clutched in her tiny fist.

“Of course,” Dean answered. He stood from the chair and moved it out of the way. “Need help up?”

“I’m okay,” Castiel told him, and he was. The other man stood seamlessly from the couch, not jostling the little girl an inch. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right without me?”

“Yeah, Cas. Take care of your little girl.” Castiel’s answering smile was so bright, Dean wanted to kiss it off his face.

“Thank you, Dean. Would you mind stepping out back and letting Gabriel know I’m leaving, and to meet me by the car if he’d like to go?” Castiel asked quietly.

Dean nodded a yes, and followed Castiel out of the office. While Castiel worked his way through the maze of drinkers, Dean walked down the hallway that lead to the back patio. He pushed open the door, and breathed in a lungful of smoke. Castiel had been right. Gabriel was leaning against the brick wall sharing a cigarette with Donna, one of the bar’s regulars. “Hey Dean-o!” Gabe said with a flourished wink. “What’s crackalackin’?”

“Cas’s headin’ home. Hael just dropped Jane off, said she had a nightmare. Thought I’d let you know.” Dean watched as Gabriel’s jokester persona melted away before his eyes. He stood a little straighter, stubbing the cigarette out against the wall.

“Donna, darlin’, it’s been a pleasure, but I gotta skedaddle,” the man gave the woman a polite kiss to the cheek, making her blush. When he turned to Dean, he had a more somber smile on his face. “You’re a good man, Winchester. Don’t fuck it up.”

Then, without another word, he was gone. Dean could just barely make out the sound of a car starting in the front parking lot, and before long the only sounds were the murmurs from inside. He changed his mind. He didn't _hate_  Gabriel. Dean politely excused himself from Donna and left the patio. He quickly crossed the room back to the bar.

Even though Dean insisted she leave, Charlie refused, and worked with him for the rest of the night. It ended up being a good thing, because Dean doubts he could focus on cocktails anyways.

Not with all the new information her had on Castiel floating around his brain like static. Castiel was not in a relationship. He was in fact single. He was a single dad to a beautiful little girl.

A little girl that he took breaks to sing to, and who he probably cooks heart shaped pancakes for in the morning.

And it was by far, the most attractive thing Dean had ever seen. He was well, and truly, gone.

* * *

The drive back home was quiet, easy. Castiel had moved Jane easily from his arms to her carseat, and she hadn’t woken since. She always loved the car. It was the easiest way to calm her down as a baby.

Castiel parked the car, and handed his keys to Gabriel. His friend knew what to do. While Castiel carefully removed Jane from the carseat, Gabriel walked up the stairs to the apartment and opened the door.

Once they were all inside Castiel placed Jane on his bed and pulled the duvet up to her chin. He backed out of the room carefully and went to help Gabriel get settled on the couch.

“She alright?” Gabriel asked as he moved a stuffed giraffe and plastic sword off the couch.

“She’ll be fine. Just a bad dream,” Castiel replied with a yawn. He pulled the large comforter Gabriel claimed as his own from it’s spot in the corner of the room. He gave it a shake, folded it in half, and tucked the folded edge into the space between the back and the seat of the couch. It’s the way Gabriel used to set up his own couch for Castiel after Jane was born. “It was kind of Dean to let me leave.”

Gabriel let out a breathy laugh and crawled beneath his covers. It wasn’t until he was completely covered, save his face, that he spoke. “He likes you, you know.”

Castiel was taken aback. “What?”

“Dean. He likes you,” Gabriel repeated nonchalantly. “I can tell.”

“But, no. Dean’s straight,” Castiel tried to reason. Because it was unfair to think that Dean could have feelings for him. Dean was such a good, kind man, and Castiel couldn’t give him the attention he no doubt deserved.

Castiel had a daughter to care for, and he couldn’t afford distractions.

It didn’t matter how often Castiel found himself daydreaming about his hands, or the way his lips formed Castiel’s name.

“Doesn’t matter, kiddo. He likes you, trust me,” Gabriel reiterated sleepily.

Castiel ignored him and instead dropped a kiss to the crown of his friends head. “Goodnight, Gabriel.”

His friend grumbled a reply, but was snoring before Castiel even left the room. Castiel couldn’t stop thinking about what Gabriel had said as he made his way, in the darkness, back to his own bed. Methodically he stripped down to his boxers, and pulled on a pair of sleep pants before crawling beneath the covers.

Jane huddled closer in her sleep, mumbling ‘angel kisses’ under her breath. It brought a smile to Castiel’s face.

As much as he knew nothing could happen between Dean and himself, it was still a nice thing to think about.

He knew, without a doubt, that Dean would be amazing with Jane. Dean had such a large heart, that his little girl would just wiggle herself right in. He would know how to joke with her, and she would wrap him around her little finger right next to himself.

Castiel wished it was easy, to just let someone else into his life, but every relationship he has seems to disintegrate before his eyes. Nobody has been able to see the whole him and stick around. Not that he has let many people get that far.

He snuggled closer to his daughter and breathed in the coconut-y smell of her shampoo.

Someday he’ll find someone to share his life with, but for now he’s more than happy with what he already has.


End file.
